Posted on 06/04/2009 1:13:48 PM PDT by franksolich
WW2 units were organized on a “tiangular” basis. A division was made up of 3 regiments, and a regimental combat team typically had 3 battalions, and so on. The prefered deployment scheme was “2 up, 1 back”. In extreme cases all RCT’s might be on-line, but then a sister division was probably contributing to the theater reserve.
Several books I’ve read mentioned, plus an LTC in the Army gave a speech where he described his career. Left a cushy job as a Colonel’s driver in a AAA unit - (transferred to the infantry) when his unit was disbanded, received a battlefield commission ect. ect. Survived lots of RIF’s post Korea, finally his 20 plus years.
That sentiment appears to have been universal.
The 1st Infantry Division was seriously engaged in North Africa, Sicily and Europe. Most of the veterans of one campaign were not involved with the others. Once the Division was engaged, however, no one was rotated out.
My Pop was a combat engineer with the 4th ID. Landed at Utah Beach. Fought in the bocage, was at Cherbourg. Saw the breakout at St. Lo. Fought his way accross France. Medevaced from the Huertgen Forest with severe frostbite. Missed the Battle of the Bulge [4th ID was on the southern flank with the German 7th army]. Returned to his unit in early ‘45, crossed the rhine at Worms, finished the war in Bavaria. Fought alongside a lot of newbies who replaced KIAs, and seriously wounded troops who did not return to combat, throughout his service with the 4th.
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